What? Considering his penchant for hurling fans from the stage, it's a bit of a surprise singer/songwriter/producer Akon continues to fill venues -- and top charts -- across the world.

What? Sorry, Sufjan Stevens: Your absence from the music scene has been a tad too prolonged, so it should be no surprise that an up-and-coming band is eyeing your highly-orchestrated indie-rock mantle.

What? From the Carly Simon School of Confessional Songwriting comes Mascott, a tender indie rock project helmed by New York's Kendall Jane Meade that combines soft piano and guitar pop with diary-like lyrical intimacy.

Who? For more than 20 years, Eddie Spaghetti, the Supersuckers' ass-kickin', name-takin', bass-pluckin' frontman, has produced the kind of blue chip rock'n'roll that makes dive bars so great: Loud, vice-ridden rock songs with country flavor and plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor. In other words, the soundtrack for one hell of a good time.

Who? Jon Brion has been one of the most influential and enjoyed musical talents of the past 15 years -- yet you'd be hard-pressed to pick the Los Angeleno out of a line-up. If you've been to the movies (Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love), you've heard Brion's instrumental scores and original songwriting.

What? Typically, instrumental rock has the tendency to be maudlin (Godspeed You!, Black Emperor), sprawling (Explosions in the Sky), or experimental (Tortoise).